#29er – Junior Helmsman champion Harry Durcan and twin Johnny have completed the European 29er skiff championships in Medemblik, Holland.
The Royal Cork pair raced in the 25–boat gold fleet which is a positive result after a short time in the class (results downloadable below). The pair now move on to the British Eurocup and the Class Worlds in Pwllheli in two weeks time.
French duo Nael and Tydgat, who shined in lighter weather, started off with a 16th position and dropped on the leader board. Nael: 'The circumstances were very difficult, but we got better in the second race. We tried to stay close to the best teams in these windy conditions. We started the final race like the first one of this championship. In the end we were close to the British guys, so we match raced them a little bit." The French pair finished in fourth, behind Beaumont and Darling, which was just enough for the overall victory. 'We are very happy", said Nael.
It was tough racing, but we enjoyed it", responded Tom Darling. 'It was quite windy, gusty and shifty. This morning we thought, we just go out and battle on the attack. We didn't have anything to lose. We already exceeded our expectations. Our goal was top five. We knew that was set in stone, so we tried to get the gold. After the 14th position in today's second race, we knew we just had to go out and go for it. The French were 2 points ahead. It is a pity that we only missed out by one point, but we are going to do our best at the Worlds and try to win."
Daniel Nyborg and Sebastian Olsen from Denmark were on fire in the big breeze. They finished 3-6-2 and climbed on the leader board from the sixth to third place overall. Nyborg: 'We had about 15 to 20 knots. It was all about boat speed, which we had and we tacked at the right places. We actually didn't start well, but we were quite good at coming back in the race. We also like the stronger conditions." Bronze at the Europeans is their first big medal. 'Last year we came 31st at the Europeans, so this is a major step up."
